Avondale Primary School (Auckland)

School Context

Avondale Primary School (Auckland) caters for students from Years 1 to 6. The roll of 331 includes many students with Māori and Pacific heritage and increasing diversity in students’ ethnicities and home languages.

The school has undergone staff and leadership changes over recent years. The senior leadership team consists of a newly appointed principal and assistant principal, the deputy principal and one senior teacher.

In 2018 the school began a re-visioning process. This has resulted in the development of the school’s SHINE values of Whakaute – Respect, Manawaroa – Resilience, Waihanga-tanga – Creativity, and Pono – Integrity. The school’s stated vision is ‘Connected and creative learners, thinkers and communicators who can effectively make a difference’. Leaders see their role as helping children to achieve this vision through genuine relationships and meaningful opportunities. They are developing a local curriculum that is relevant and responsive to their school.

Leaders and teachers regularly report to the board, schoolwide information about outcomes for students in the following areas:

• achievement in reading, writing, and mathematics
• self review including professional development, organisational systems and processes
• culturally responsive practices
• health and safety
• wellbeing and pastoral care.

The school’s strategic priorities for improving valued student outcomes and success include:

• raising student learning and achievement by strengthening teacher pedagogy
• increasing student engagement and progress through rich learning environments and learner-focused partnerships
• developing processes that give teachers and leaders the information needed to change and adapt teaching practices
• developing a sustainable, distributed leadership model across the school.

The 2015 ERO report noted that Avondale Primary School was working to improve student learning and achievement. Students had good relationships with each other and their teachers. The school was continuing to develop its curriculum to more effectively respond to the diverse cultures and languages of its students. Since 2015 the school has made good progress in all of these areas.

Evaluation Findings

1 Equity and excellence – achievement of valued outcomes for students

1.1 How well is the school achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for all its students?

School data show that the school is making good progress in achieving equitable and excellent outcomes for students. A large majority of students achieve at or above expected national curriculum levels in reading, writing and mathematics. Very good shifts in student achievement have been made in recent years. Gender disparity has decreased in reading and writing, and especially in maths.

Leaders have established ways to analyse data and monitor achievement. Team leaders and teachers are strengthening their assessment practices and analysis of information to help them respond to students’ learning needs. They are developing an increased focus on supporting target groups of students.

School leaders and teachers focus on knowing the whole child. School data show that most students achieve well in relation to the school’s valued outcomes, for students to be:

• happy and engaged in their learning
• confident in their language, culture and identity
• inclusive in their attitudes and actions
• digitally proficient
• confident, articulate and enjoying learning.

1.2 How well is the school accelerating learning for those Māori and other students who need this?

The school is actively implementing strategies to support the acceleration of learning for Māori and other students who need this. School leaders prioritise raising achievement levels for all students. Parity of achievement is increasing for Māori students in reading, writing and mathematics.

Teachers are developing culturally responsive practices to better support student learning. They use a variety of approaches, including tuakana/teina relationships and mixed ability groupings to grow learners’ confidence and engagement.

A recently appointed Special Education Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) has introduced good schoolwide systems and processes to improve provision for children with additional learning needs. The school’s intervention programmes are responsive to students’ learning needs. Ongoing collaborative planning and review with parents, whānau and external agencies, support individualised programmes for students who need this.

To further reduce disparity for Māori, Pacific, and other cohorts who need to make accelerated progress, it would be timely to review and more clearly define school focuses and strategies. This should increase coherence and improve the impact of actions to accelerate progress.

2 School conditions for equity and excellence – processes and practices

2.1 What school processes and practices are effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

School processes and practices are increasingly effective in enabling achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning.

The board has strengthened school stewardship. Trustees have a sound understanding of their governance role and make good use of their skills and knowledge to support the board’s work. They are continuing to review governance practices as Treaty of Waitangi partners. Trustees scrutinise a range of reports and information sources to help them make informed decisions to benefit students. The board has used external expertise to help determine the future direction of the school, and in the appointment of the new principal.

The board and senior leadership team work collaboratively and strategically to support the school’s direction and vision. They promote improvement and innovation across the school, with well-considered change management strategies and an appropriate sense of urgency. Leaders are establishing an inclusive school culture and developing distributed leadership opportunities for staff and students.

Leaders have high expectations of themselves, teachers, students and the wider school community. They are developing robust systems to support staff in developing a shared understanding of the school’s pedagogical direction. They support teachers well to strengthen teaching and learning approaches. Effective strategies include coaching, mentoring and modelling. Relevant ongoing professional development and good use of internal and external expertise are resulting in improved learner-focused teaching practices. Leaders make good use of professional networks to build their own and staff capability.

Staff have an increasingly collaborative focus on fostering student outcomes, progress and achievement. They use their knowledge of students’ holistic wellbeing and shared achievement data to inform decisions about learning programmes.

Leaders and teachers are developing processes to extend learning partnerships with whanau/families. Innovative learning environments are being trialled in the junior and senior teams to encourage collaborative approaches to teaching and learning. A digital student profile (‘Huarahi’) is supporting a change to personalised learning where the student, teachers and parents share information about learning, progress and achievement. Teachers are developing culturally sustainable practices to better support student learning.

Leaders use internal evaluation in a range of ways to reflect on their practice. Teachers and leaders are beginning to use collaborative inquiry processes that focus more specifically on raising student achievement, and on target groups of students. Leaders have developed a teacher appraisal system that includes using student achievement information to guide teachers’ ongoing reflection and evaluation of practice.

2.2 What further developments are needed in school processes and practices for achievement of equity and excellence, and acceleration of learning?

Leaders and teachers should continue with initiatives to improve curriculum provision and strengthen teaching and learning across the school. This includes strengthening effective teaching practices that promote student agency, and extending and embedding bicultural practices.

Continuing to improve community engagement to sustain a culturally responsive school culture is a school priority. Leaders and teachers are seeking to establish implicit whānau/parent partnerships to fully realise whānau/parents as significant participants in their children’s learning journey. They are continuing to build the ‘Huarahi’ digital platform to support more transparent sharing and ‘real time’ reporting of children’s learning.

Leaders and trustees are continuing to review systems and practices for ongoing improvement of school operations and board processes. This should include implementing a programme of induction and training for new trustees. Leaders should also continue to refine teacher appraisal processes.

3 Board Assurance on Legal Requirements

Before the review, the board and principal of the school completed the ERO board assurance statement and self-audit checklists. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legislative obligations related to the following:

• board administration
• curriculum
• management of health, safety and welfare
• personnel management
• finance
• asset management.

During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student safety and wellbeing:

• emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)
• physical safety of students
• teacher registration and certification
• processes for appointing staff
• stand down, suspension, expulsion and exclusion of students
• attendance
• school policies in relation to meeting the requirements of the Children’s Act 2014.

4 ERO’s Overall Judgement

On the basis of the findings of this review, ERO’s overall evaluation judgement of Avondale Primary School performance in achieving valued outcomes for its students is: Well placed.

ERO’s Framework: Overall School Performance is available on ERO’s website.

5 Going forward

Key strengths of the school

For sustained improvement and future learner success, the school can draw on existing strengths in:

• leadership vision that provides a strong foundation for continued school development
• professional capability building that is underpinned by high expectations and strategic decision-making
• internal evaluation that promotes continuous reflection and ongoing improvement.

Next steps

For sustained improvement and future learner success, priorities for further development are to continue to:

• build teaching and learning capabilities
• strengthen reciprocal community relationships that support students’ learning, progress and achievement
• refine and build on evaluative processes to maximise ongoing improvement.

Steve Tanner

Director Review and Improvement Services Northern

Northern Region

22 August 2019

About the school

Findings

Avondale Primary School provides settled and purposeful environments for students. Teachers are developing their inquiry-based practices to continue to improve outcomes for students. Ongoing school improvement with more in-depth evaluation and self-review practices are also being implemented to further sustain and improve the school’s performance.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.

1 Context

What are the important features of this school that have an impact on student learning?

Avondale Primary School is a state primary school from Year 1 to 6. Students are drawn from an ethnically diverse local community located in Avondale, Auckland. The growing school roll comprises 17 percent Māori and 21 percent New Zealand European/Pākehā. There are large numbers of Pacific, Indian, Middle Eastern and Asian students. Many students are from multi-language backgrounds.

The senior leadership team consists of an experienced principal, an associate principal and a newly appointed deputy principal, who joined the staff in 2014. Together with the board of trustees, they focus on enhancing opportunities to promote and improve student progress and achievement.

Leaders and teachers have accessed a number of school-wide professional learning and development initiatives over the last three years. A major focus is supporting teachers to reflect and inquire into their practice. The school’s involvement in a Learning Change Network (LCN) is beginning to strengthen collaboration between schools in the local area. This initiative supports a focus on transition processes and shared understandings of the needs of the wider community.

2 Learning

How well does this school use achievement information to make positive changes to learners’ engagement, progress and achievement?

Publically available data shows that students, including those who are Māori and Pacific recently improved their national standards achievement in reading compared with other local and national achievement levels. Mathematics and writing achievement data continues to fluctuate and the school still has some way to go to meet the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) goal of 85% of students achieving at or above National Standards by 2017. The recent school-wide initiative on teaching as inquiry should support their focus on improving teaching practices that promote student engagement, progress and achievement.

Student achievement information is used by the school to promote learners’ progress and achievement. Teachers use an appropriate range of assessment processes to determine student achievement levels. Deepening school leaders’ and teachers’ inquiries on the impact of their teaching strategies, could provide richer information that influences the school’s curriculum and resourcing.

The school is improving its use of achievement information, particularly with its target students. School-wide and class achievement targets are identified and the progress and achievement of these target students is monitored by teachers and leaders. Teachers reflect on their teaching as a syndicate team and across teams. The principal has aligned school-wide expectations of teaching as inquiry, appraisal processes and self-review practices to deepen teachers’ focus on the progress and achievement of these students. These approaches should help improve outcomes for these students.

Students with diverse needs are identified and support is accessed through a variety of agencies and interventions. Reviewing the outcomes of interventions helps to ensure students are getting appropriate support.

The school’s introduction of the English Language Learning Progressions (ELLPs) as an assessment tool is timely. Greater use and a better understanding of these progressions should help all teachers to better identify, plan and monitor the progress of these students who are new speakers of English.

To facilitate and enhance student learning even further, ERO and school leaders discussed the value of extending opportunities for students to inquire into their learning and know more about their progress and achievement.

3 Curriculum

How effectively does this school’s curriculum promote and support student learning?

The school is continuing to develop its curriculum to more effectively promote and respond to the cultural and language diversity of its students. School leaders have developed and shared a curriculum statement with their community. Clearly documented statements identify quality learning expectations for teachers in each curriculum area.

There is an appropriate priority given to establishing a sound foundation in literacy and mathematics. Professional development programmes for teachers prioritise improving teachers’ skills in these learning areas.

In 2014, the school began developing a curriculum approach based on AKO, ‘the child as both teacher and learner’. This is an integrated planning approach, involving the local and wider community and reflecting authentic learning contexts. The purpose of this approach is to strengthen student ‘voice’ and their ownership of learning.

Teachers have developed learning maps with each student identifying aspects of themselves as a learner to help support student perspectives in the class programme. Broadening student's stories around their language, culture and identity could extend what teachers know about their students. The recognition and inclusion of diverse cultures will contribute to a curriculum that is more reflective of the school’s community.

Students have good relationships with each other and their teachers. They cooperate well and classrooms are purposeful and settled environments. The inclusive school tone has a positive influence on student’s sense of belonging.

The school offers a range of co-curricular activities. There are opportunities for students to experience success and build leadership capability and social competencies. A variety of cultural, academic and sporting events celebrate success.

To further enhance the school’s curriculum, school leaders plan to develop an overall curriculum framework for learning to ensure a consistency of pedagogical approaches that supports and enhances the delivery of the school’s curriculum and improves outcomes for all students.

How effectively does the school promote educational success for Māori, as Māori?

Māori students generally achieve at similar levels to other students at the school in literacy and mathematics.

Aspects of te reo Māori and tikanga are evident in some classroom programmes. Leaders and teachers are continuing to prioritise and foster practices that support the engagement and achievement of Māori students across the school.

Since the 2012 ERO review, teachers and syndicate teams continue to build relationships with whānau in ways that help support their child’s learning and this is an ongoing priority at many levels across the school.

The board and school leaders could continue to explore ways to include Māori perspectives and New Zealand’s bi-cultural heritage throughout the curriculum and school operations.

How effective does the school promote educational success for Pacific students?

Twenty seven percent of the school’s roll is Pacific students.

ERO recommends further work to improve the educational outcomes for these students. In particular the board and senior leaders could continue to explore ways to establish greater collaborative partnerships with Pacific families so that they are more actively involved in the school’s decision making.

4 Sustainable Performance

How well placed is the school to sustain and improve its performance?

The school is well placed to sustain and improve its performance.

The principal and senior leaders have taken a number of actions to continue to improve school performance. Comprehensive processes and expectations are being developed around staff appraisal and professional development for teachers. Well considered school-wide professional development on teaching as inquiry with a focus on raising student achievement should continue to strengthen the professional capability of teachers.

The challenge for the school is to ensure that the benefits from these actions are maximised and bring about the intended improvements. Reviewing their roles and responsibilities could help the leadership team ensure an aligned approach to effective planning, coordinating and evaluating the school’s curriculum and teaching.

Trustees bring a range of strengths and expertise to their board role and are focused on improving outcomes for students. Trustees should now improve processes for knowing about and implementing school governance expectations. More formalised inquiries into the effectiveness of board performance could help improve board operations.

Greater in-depth evaluation of the quality and effectiveness of the school’s performance would help to continue to improve the provision of wellbeing and learning outcomes for students. Through strengthening of inquiry processes at all levels across the school, the leadership team and board of trustees will be able to focus on developing greater coherence to their plans and systems to accomplish the school’s vision, goals and priorities.

Board assurance on legal requirements

Before the review, the board of trustees and principal of the school completed the ERO Board Assurance Statement and Self-Audit Checklists. In these documents they attested that they had taken all reasonable steps to meet their legislative obligations related to:

• board administration
• curriculum
• management of health, safety and welfare
• personnel management
• financial management
• asset management.

During the review, ERO checked the following items because they have a potentially high impact on student achievement:

• emotional safety of students (including prevention of bullying and sexual harassment)
• physical safety of students
• teacher registration
• processes for appointing staff
• stand-downs, suspensions, expulsions and exclusions
• attendance.

In order to improve practice:

• the principal should ensure all teachers are appropriately appraised in relation to the new Education Council’s Practising Teacher Criteria
• ensure public meetings maintain the privacy of individuals and improve the recording of minutes when the public is excluded from board meetings.

Conclusion

Avondale Primary School provides settled and purposeful environments for students. Teachers are developing their inquiry-based practices to continue to improve outcomes for students. Ongoing school improvement with more in-depth evaluation and self-review practices are also being implemented to further sustain and improve the school’s performance.

ERO is likely to carry out the next review in three years.

Graham Randell

Deputy Chief Review Officer Northern

16 November 2015

About the School